Barrin, Master Wizard MTG Card


Barrin, Master Wizard - Urza's Saga
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Wizard
Released1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set nameUrza's Saga
Set codeUSG
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number63
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byMichael Sutfin

Key Takeaways

  1. Card advantage through Barrin enhances battlefield tactics by reutilizing creature effects.
  2. Instant speed ability of Barrin provides reactive protection and strategic flexibility.
  3. Demands careful resource management due to sacrifice and specific mana requirements.

Text of card

Barrin, Master Wizard counts as a Wizard. , Sacrifice a permanent: Return target creature to owner's hand.

"Knowledge is no more expensive than ignorance, and at least as satisfying." —Barrin, master wizard


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Barrin, Master Wizard offers a unique way to manipulate the board state by providing the ability to return a creature you control to its owner’s hand. This can be particularly powerful when combined with creatures that have beneficial enter the battlefield effects, effectively multiplying their impact and ensuring you maintain card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Efficient use of Barrin, Master Wizard in conjunction with low-cost creatures or tokens can accelerate your resource management. Sacrificing a creature to Barrin’s ability can be a strategic move to reuse mana or other resources tied to that creature, thus indirectly speeding up your game plan.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of activating Barrin’s ability at instant speed provides a significant advantage. It allows players to react to an opponent’s actions during their turn, protect key creatures from removal, or simply reorganize resources in response to changing battlefield conditions, keeping opponents on their toes and providing tactical superiority.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Barrin, Master Wizard’s ability necessitates sacrificing a permanent, not just discarding a card, which can set you back especially if you do not have expendable permanents to offer.

Specific Mana Cost: Demanding both blue and generic mana to cast, Barrin, Master Wizard may not fit smoothly into multicolor decks that struggle with mana consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing a total of three mana, including double blue, makes him a significant early game investment, potentially slowing down your board development in the first few turns.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Barrin, Master Wizard adds a layer of adaptability to blue-focused decks. Its ability to sacrifice another permanent to return a creature to its owner’s hand allows players to respond to threats on-the-fly or reuse their own enter-the-battlefield effects.

Combo Potential: The sacrificial aspect of Barrin’s ability can seamlessly integrate into deck mechanics that are centered around graveyard play or sacrifice for gain. Pairing Barrin with cards that benefit from being sacrificed or those that reward you for sacrificing others opens up numerous combo possibilities.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies are prevalent, having Barrin, Master Wizard in your arsenal means you have a consistent form of board interaction. Its utility in the current meta cannot be understated as it allows control and tempo players to maintain tempo swings and board advantage.


How to beat

Barrin, Master Wizard holds a prestigious place in the pantheon of unique and powerful creatures in the game, revered for his ability to control the battlefield. His special talent lies in sacrificing another permanent to bounce a creature back to its owner’s hand. Players opposing Barrin should look to dismantle his resource control, emphasizing removal of permanents he could sacrifice. Strategies that utilize graveyard recursion or indestructible creatures can mitigate the loss from his ability.

Additionally, focusing on spells that limit the ability to target, such as those granting hexproof, can blunt Barrin’s effectiveness. It’s also crucial to curtail his access to a vast amount of mana, which he relies on to activate his ability multiple times in a single turn. Strategic land destruction or counter spells can prove useful when disrupting his game plan. By cutting off the tools Barrin needs to operate, his mastery wanes, giving opponents a clearer path to victory. Foresight and carefully timed responses are key in curbing the might of Barrin, Master Wizard.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving into the gameplay dynamics of Barrin, Master Wizard, it’s clear that this card offers fascinating strategic avenues for MTG enthusiasts. From harnessing card advantage by recycling creatures with potent enter-the-battlefield effects to springboarding into faster play, Barrin ensures a grip on the game’s tempo. However, it’s crucial to navigate around its drawbacks—like the required sacrifice of a permanent—with a deck tailored to mitigate these costs. If you’re intrigued by the sophisticated combos and meta relevance that Barrin offers, delve deeper with us. Enhance your collection, refine your deck’s synergy, and maintain board control—the wizardry awaits your command.


Cards like Barrin, Master Wizard

Barrin, Master Wizard, firmly holds its place as a unique fixture in Magic: The Gathering’s roster of legendary creatures. This card echoes the versatility seen in other utility creatures like Venser, Shaper Savant. Venser offers a similar bouncing effect, returning target spell or creature to its owner’s hand, but lacks the explicit sacrificial synergy that Barrin possesses. This key difference allows Barrin to interact beneficially with cards that have ‘when this creature dies’ effects.

Comparatively, Tradewind Rider is another card that facilitates a bouncing strategy, allowing you to return artifacts, creatures, or lands to their owner’s hand. While Tradewind Rider requires tapping multiple creatures to activate this ability, Barrin demands a sacrifice, which could be advantageous or problematic, depending on the deck’s overall strategy and synergy.

Examining these interrelations, one can appreciate the strategic niche Barrin, Master Wizard occupies. Its ability to sacrifice other creatures as a cost introduces dynamic play decisions, setting it apart from its counterparts with straightforward abilities, thereby enriching the strategic depth and decision-making aspects in Magic: The Gathering.

Venser, Shaper Savant - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions
Venser, Shaper Savant - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Barrin, Master Wizard MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Barrin, Master Wizard and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Barrin, Master Wizard has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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